"Resilience is about our responses to stress. When you come right down to it, in predicting a person's capacity for resiliency, the math is pretty simple. It works out to be a highly individualized balance between the risk factors in a child's life and the supports available, both externally and internally" (Bluestein, 2001, p. 243).
Resiliency "is rooted in a belief system that allows one to cognitively reappraise situations and regulate emotions, turning life's proverbial lemons into lemonade" (Zolli, 2012, p. 127).
Resiliency is "the ability to bounce back from adversity, learn new skills, develop creative ways of coping, and become stronger" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 7). The levels of responding to adversity include:
"Feeling overwhelmed and withdraw from the situation. This is a dysfunctional response to adversity.
Surviving, scraping by and developing response mechanisms that are at least minimally successful.
Persisting and developing more adequate responses until we reach a comfort zone and no longer feel threatened by the situation.
Developing new insights and skills, a higher degree of confidence and increase self-esteem. We have gained support from the environment. This is a resilient response." (Milstein & Henry, 2007, p. 15).
Internal and Environmental Protective Factors: We have the ability to foster resiliency in ourselves and others. This "requires effort and courage to change beliefs and habits because of life's experiences" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 9). Both internal and environmental protective factors are needed to develop and maintain resiliency in your self or others. Many of these factors are cultivated during the process of learning self-regulatory skills.
Internal protective factors include:
"gives of self in service to other or a cause or both
uses life skills, including good decision making, assertiveness, impulse control and problem solving
is sociable and has ability to be a friend and form positive relationships
has a sense of humor
exhibits internal locus of control (i.e., belief in ability to influence one's environment)
is autonomous, independent
has positive view of personal future
is flexible
has spirituality (i.e., a belief in a greater power)
has capacity for connection to learning
is self-motivated
is "good at something," has special personal competence
has feelings of self-worth and self-confidence" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 9).
Environmental protective factors involve the following "characteristics of families, schools, communities and peer groups:
promotes close bond
values and encourages education
use high warmth, low criticism style of interaction
sets and enforces clear boundaries (rules, norms and laws)
encourages supportive relationships with many caring others
promotes sharing of responsibilities, service to others, 'required helpfulness'
provides access to resources for meeting basic needs of housing, employment, health care, and recreation
expresses high and realistic expectations for success
encourages goal setting and mastery
encourages prosocial development of values (such as altruism) and life skills (such as cooperation)
provides leadership and opportunities for meaningful participation and decision making
appreciates the unique talents of each individual" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 10).
"A different way of structuring thinking about resiliency is to summarize the key findings of the at-risk literature (e.g., Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992) and the resiliency literature (e.g., Benard, 2004; Werner & Smith, 1992) into a limited but inclusive number of elements" (Milsein & Hentry, 2008, p. 11). The Resiliency Wheel dipicted below "(adapted from Henderson & Milstein, 1996; Henry & Milstein, 2004; Milstein & Henry, 2000) portrays six key elements that make up resiliency" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 11).
The six elements in the wheel can be thought of the building blocks for resiliency and can be used to create resiliency plans for individuals, schools and communities. Each element can be described as follows:
Positive Connections: "When we are connected in profound ways with people, activities, programs, institutions, communities, and society, as well as the core values that underlie them, we know who we are, that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, and how we fit in with those around us. Positive connections that are healthy and supportive provide meaning and value for our lives. We need to seek out, maintain, and nurture positive connections that support our sense of belonging and meaning" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 11).
Clear, Consistent and Appropriate Boundaries: "Our boundaries, or our sense of self and place, include expectations that are formal and communicated in writing such as laws, policies and procedures, as well as expectations that are informal but powerful such as norms and cultural preferences. Our behaviors are greatly affected by the formal and informal expectations of others. If they are clear and consistently enforced and appropriate to our needs and abilities they can serve as a safety net, providing guidance for appropriate behaviors. They are also important for growth and development, which are more feasible if we feel safe and secure" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 11).
Life Guiding Skills: "Life-guiding skills that are required to navigate life's twists and turns include goal setting, planning, problem solving, decision making, communications, conflict management and resolution, and the ability to be reflective. It is important that these skills be developed, honed through experience, and applied flexibly as conditions change and life progresses" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 11).
Nurture and Support: "We thrive when we are cared for and supported by relatives, friends, and others around us. Our lives are more worth living when we matter to otheers. We feel more fully alive when we experience unconditional regard from others. All people, from newborns to centerians, thrive more if they are loved and cared for. Learning how to ask for and receive such nurturance and support is important. It is equally important to be able and willing to give nurturance and support to others for our own sense of well-being" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 12).
Purpose and Expectation: "With clear goals and priorities and the motivation to achieve them, we are more likely to respond positively to life's challenges. Purposes and expectations motivate us to grow and develop. In fact, meaning is the driving energy in life. Without purposes and expectations, we are likely to become alienated and adrift, with little drive beyond mere survival. Our purposes and expectations may be suggested by teachers, parents, and others, but ultimately, we must choose and prioritize our own expectations - for example, to become independent, become financially secure, find a mate, raise a family, and do well in our chosen line of work" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 12).
Meaningful Participation: "We are social beings. When we participate meaningfully with our family, friends, and the community we live in, we realize taht we are not alone, that we have skills and worthwhile inputs to offer, and that we have a responsibility to give back to the environments that have nurtured us. It is important to note that people have the time, life experiences, and knowledge to participate meaningfully, but they also need to be invited to participate appropriately" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 12).
Linking Resiliency to the Biological Domain of Regulation
When the SNS and PNS are being "turned on and off again efficiently and not too frequently," the autonomic nervous system is to said to be homeostasis, or a balanced state (Shanker, 2013, pp. 2-3). Free and flexible movement between the SNS and PNS sets the stage for a person to have the emotional and cognitive control that are important to building resiliency.
Linking Resiliency to the Emotional Domain of Regulation
"For most of us, emotions are things that happen to us. We might be going happily about our day when, in the presence of some small social injustice or irritant, we're hit by a wall of anger. Boom! We feel upset. The relationship between the event and our emotion is one of causation: The event causes us to feel a certain way. It's not like we have a choice in the matter. Other times, our emotions creep up on us, but no less involuntary. We might wake up in the morning, feeling bright and cheerful until, slowly, throughout the day, a veil of sadness descends upon us. These things - our emotions - seem to function of their own accord. When they strike, we feel little control over them.
Researchers who study mindfulness and attention often conceive of our emotions differently. In their view, emotions are not things that happen to us. Rather, they exist - metaphorically, or course - as a kind of psychic currency, held in reserve. When we waste that reserve - giving over our attention to every single distraction from the outside environment - it dwindles down into an empty account, and we are left feeling fatigued or, worse, in a downward spiral of negative affect like anger and despondency. With practice, on the other hand, we can train ourselves deliberately and judiciously, keeping us from draining our own emotional coffers" (Zolli, 2012, p. 133).
"In January 2011, researchers at the Massachesetts General Hospital, led by Dr. Sara Lazar, reported a suggestive finding. Lazar took magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brains of novice subjects, who then participated in an eight-week meditation program. At the end of eight weeks, after using a form of open monitoring mediation for an average of twenty-seven minutes a day, Lazar and her team scanned the subjects again. They found measurable changes in teh regions of the brain associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection, including increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, as well as decreased gray-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Control subjects who did not receive the training had no meaningful changes in their brain physiology. 'These data provide teh first structural evidence for experience-dependent brain plasticity associated with meditation practice,' reported Lazar" (Zolli, 2012, pp. 137-138).
Linking Resiliency to the Cognitive Domain of Regulation
"The process of self-monitoring is not simply a mechanical audit of one’s performances. Preexisting cognitive structures and self-beliefs exert selective influence on which aspects of one’s functioning are given the most attention, how they are perceived, and how performance information is organized for memory representation. Mood states also affect how one’s performances are self-monitored and cognitively processed (Kuiper, MacDonald, & Derry, 1983). Self-monitoring of behavior that bears on personal competence and self-esteem, in turn, activates affective reactions that can distort self-perceptions at the time the behavior is occurring, as well as later recollections of it" (Bandura, 1991, p. 250).
Linking Resiliency to the Social and Pro-social Domains of Regulation
"An extensive study by Werner and Smith found that children who were at risk for school failure actually thrived when valued and supported by an important, caring adult. Sociologist Troy Duster remarks on the American phenomenon by which we tend to view success and achievement with an image of a strong, rugged individual standing alone against all odds. But if you look closer, what appears to be highly individualized achievement is often really about social support, a complex matrix whether a family member, teacher or community, that assumes a kid is going to make it and taps them on the shoulder and says, 'Kid, you've got it'" (Bluestein, 2001, p. 243).
"There is a growing body of evidence that programs of peer involvement not only neutralize anti-authority behavior, but also create positive learning climates that foster social and academic development. The benefits include enhanced self-esteem, increased locus of responsibility, increased prosocial values, and reversal of long-standing patterns of school failure and underachievement. (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Van Bockern, 2002, pp 117-18).
Resiliency "is rooted in a belief system that allows one to cognitively reappraise situations and regulate emotions, turning life's proverbial lemons into lemonade" (Zolli, 2012, p. 127).
Resiliency is "the ability to bounce back from adversity, learn new skills, develop creative ways of coping, and become stronger" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 7). The levels of responding to adversity include:
Internal and Environmental Protective Factors: We have the ability to foster resiliency in ourselves and others. This "requires effort and courage to change beliefs and habits because of life's experiences" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 9). Both internal and environmental protective factors are needed to develop and maintain resiliency in your self or others. Many of these factors are cultivated during the process of learning self-regulatory skills.
Internal protective factors include:
Environmental protective factors involve the following "characteristics of families, schools, communities and peer groups:
"A different way of structuring thinking about resiliency is to summarize the key findings of the at-risk literature (e.g., Hawkins, Catalano, & Miller, 1992) and the resiliency literature (e.g., Benard, 2004; Werner & Smith, 1992) into a limited but inclusive number of elements" (Milsein & Hentry, 2008, p. 11). The Resiliency Wheel dipicted below "(adapted from Henderson & Milstein, 1996; Henry & Milstein, 2004; Milstein & Henry, 2000) portrays six key elements that make up resiliency" (Milstein & Henry, 2008, p. 11).
Linking Resiliency to the Biological Domain of Regulation
When the SNS and PNS are being "turned on and off again efficiently and not too frequently," the autonomic nervous system is to said to be homeostasis, or a balanced state (Shanker, 2013, pp. 2-3). Free and flexible movement between the SNS and PNS sets the stage for a person to have the emotional and cognitive control that are important to building resiliency.
Linking Resiliency to the Emotional Domain of Regulation
"For most of us, emotions are things that happen to us. We might be going happily about our day when, in the presence of some small social injustice or irritant, we're hit by a wall of anger. Boom! We feel upset. The relationship between the event and our emotion is one of causation: The event causes us to feel a certain way. It's not like we have a choice in the matter. Other times, our emotions creep up on us, but no less involuntary. We might wake up in the morning, feeling bright and cheerful until, slowly, throughout the day, a veil of sadness descends upon us. These things - our emotions - seem to function of their own accord. When they strike, we feel little control over them.
Researchers who study mindfulness and attention often conceive of our emotions differently. In their view, emotions are not things that happen to us. Rather, they exist - metaphorically, or course - as a kind of psychic currency, held in reserve. When we waste that reserve - giving over our attention to every single distraction from the outside environment - it dwindles down into an empty account, and we are left feeling fatigued or, worse, in a downward spiral of negative affect like anger and despondency. With practice, on the other hand, we can train ourselves deliberately and judiciously, keeping us from draining our own emotional coffers" (Zolli, 2012, p. 133).
"In January 2011, researchers at the Massachesetts General Hospital, led by Dr. Sara Lazar, reported a suggestive finding. Lazar took magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brains of novice subjects, who then participated in an eight-week meditation program. At the end of eight weeks, after using a form of open monitoring mediation for an average of twenty-seven minutes a day, Lazar and her team scanned the subjects again. They found measurable changes in teh regions of the brain associated with self-awareness, compassion, and introspection, including increased gray-matter density in the hippocampus, known to be important for learning and memory, as well as decreased gray-matter density in the amygdala, which is known to play an important role in anxiety and stress. Control subjects who did not receive the training had no meaningful changes in their brain physiology. 'These data provide teh first structural evidence for experience-dependent brain plasticity associated with meditation practice,' reported Lazar" (Zolli, 2012, pp. 137-138).
Linking Resiliency to the Cognitive Domain of Regulation
"The process of self-monitoring is not simply a mechanical audit of one’s performances. Preexisting cognitive structures and self-beliefs exert selective influence on which aspects of one’s functioning are given the most attention, how they are perceived, and how performance information is organized for memory representation. Mood states also affect how one’s performances are self-monitored and cognitively processed (Kuiper, MacDonald, & Derry, 1983). Self-monitoring of behavior that bears on personal competence and self-esteem, in turn, activates affective reactions that can distort self-perceptions at the time the behavior is occurring, as well as later recollections of it" (Bandura, 1991, p. 250).
Linking Resiliency to the Social and Pro-social Domains of Regulation
"An extensive study by Werner and Smith found that children who were at risk for school failure actually thrived when valued and supported by an important, caring adult. Sociologist Troy Duster remarks on the American phenomenon by which we tend to view success and achievement with an image of a strong, rugged individual standing alone against all odds. But if you look closer, what appears to be highly individualized achievement is often really about social support, a complex matrix whether a family member, teacher or community, that assumes a kid is going to make it and taps them on the shoulder and says, 'Kid, you've got it'" (Bluestein, 2001, p. 243).
"There is a growing body of evidence that programs of peer involvement not only neutralize anti-authority behavior, but also create positive learning climates that foster social and academic development. The benefits include enhanced self-esteem, increased locus of responsibility, increased prosocial values, and reversal of long-standing patterns of school failure and underachievement. (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Van Bockern, 2002, pp 117-18).